Oyster knife is tough

On the tablecloth, the cutlery can be counted on one hand. On the kitchen side, it is a wide variety of instruments that is used to work on food. Discover their origins, sometimes forgotten, and the best way to use them.

by Léo Bourdin

Each year at the time of the holidays, it is the same gymnastics: the oysters rest by dozen at the bottom of the sink and all the honors return to the one who, to open them, will best play elbows and wrists. The most important thing is to achieve it without a hitch. To avoid cuts and other injuries, it is necessary to protect your hand with a damp cloth, or even a protective glove of knit. And to get into the tough of the shell, we use different types of utensils specially dedicated to the task.

Forget the famous “guard knife”, which obstructs the view and is more dangerous than handy, and prefer the tools of the scales. The “Lancette” is the most traditional oyster knife; It consists of a short blade, erected in a point, and a robust wooden handle fitted with rivets. The “Lyonnais”, historically used by the fishmongers of the Lyonnais halls, is similar to the first, with one difference: its blade, finer and slightly tapered, offers more precision and versatility. The shell knife, with a large sharp blade, will be more practical to open flat oysters, like those cultivated on the Bélon Ria, in Finistère.

its use

Maison Vanhamme (Paris 16 e ), Arnaud Vanhamme’s fishmonger , best worker in France, honors up to 400 commands of seafood trays during the last week of the year. On the stalls, the oysters Gillardeau, Amélie, Pearl Blanche or even the fine of Pascal Breuil clearly struts at the bottom of their stuffing before being picked by expert hands. In this case, those of Sonia Bichet, winner of the World Cup, in 2020.

“The first thing to do is to relax completely, explains the young craftsman. Then, it is the strongest hand that seizes the knife; by placing her thumb on the blade, at 1 centimeter of the end, to limit the damage in the event of a slippage. We hold the oyster firmly in the palm of his other hand, hollow side towards the ground, then we seek the joint: it takes three fingers, starting from The base of the shell. We get stuck in the tip of the knife and we make a back and forth movement of both hands, like a beat of wings. Once the oyster begins to yawn, the wrist Press the knife to lever. With a dry blow, we cut the muscle and we scrape the upper wall in order to leave the two sails of the oyster one on the other. We throw the first water to Get rid of any shells shards and after … we taste and we enjoy it! “